Leave People Better Than You Found Them

I saw something recently that really hit home for me, as it is something that matches what I truly admire as well.

What do you admire most in a person?

The ability to leave people better than they found them

 To have conversations that heal instead of hurt

To make people feel safe instead of judged

To be the reason someone walks away with a smile on their face or in their heart instead of questioning their worth

That is a rare kind of beautiful 

I strive to show up this way every day. While I may not be perfect at it, it continues to be a daily goal for me. Whether it is a work setting, a personal relationship or with strangers - it can and in many cases I have been able to witness - what a palpable difference is usually makes.

Even if the impact of your interaction isn't evident at the time, or ever known for that matter, holding that intention to show up in the world that way is what is important.

I invite you to consider this when you are interacting with other human beings. We don't need to do it perfectly. Over time, it may become more and more natural for us. (I think of it as if we are building a muscle.) To me, the most important thing is having the goal to show up this way, a genuine desire to leave people better than we found them.

If you feel inspired, you can also substitute the word "people" with animals and strive to treat animals (4 legged and winged) that way as well. I get to witness this all the time, watching the kindness and respect that exists between animals and across different species of animals. The ways they interact with each other, support and look out for each other has never stopped putting a smile on my face and in my heart. It encourages me to keep doing better. 

We may not love what we see happening in the world. It may feel overwhelmingly negative at times. It may be down right painful to observe. What we see going on around us may leave us feeling helpless and defeated - wondering what we can do. Fortunately for us, the one thing we are able to do is be responsible for the way we treat one another. 

What if this was not a rarity but rather the way we all showed up for and interacted with each other? 

Leaving people better than we found them

Having conversations that heal instead of hurt

Making people feel safe instead of judged

Being the reason someone walks away with a smile on their face or in their heart instead of questioning their worth

I ponder this quite often . . . What would happen if we were lifting each other up, if we were letting everyone we interact with know they have been seen, heard, valued and appreciated? What would this world be like if we all showed up this way for everyone we interacted with? If we left people better than we found them? 

Just for today, would you consider giving it a try? And if you like how it feels, and/or you get to see how someone else responds to being treated this way, would you consider doing it again? And again? As I said, holding this intention / desire is key, perfection is not a requirement. I can't help but think this might be a way for each of us to make a big collective positive impact on the world - and we never know when the "tipping point" will occur. 

 

Animal Communication and Energy Sessions - Updated

 Animal Services: 

I have been able to communicate with animals since I was a little girl and began doing it professionally over 20 years ago. That was around the same time that I studied energy healing and became a Reiki practitioner so my services include both energy healing sessions and animal communication sessions. Over the years, I have studied and practiced many other energy healing modalities so I use an assortment of approaches when working with energy.

Since both types of sessions can be done from a distance, I don’t need to be in person with the animal. I have learned over the years that because of how sensitive I am to energy, working with animals this way (from a distance) actually provides a greater depth of information as I can tune into just them and not other animals or people in the house. I work off of a picture and tune into their energy field that way.

Communication is mainly telepathic, with the added benefit of my ability to literally feel inside my body what an animal is feeling inside of theirs (both physical and emotional). 

I primarily work with dogs, cats, horses / donkeys - and have also had the pleasure of working with other animals as well, such as birds, ducks, rabbits and elephants. So basically, I can communicate with all animals - it is just more common for me to work with dogs, cats and horses.

Details of Animal Communication sessions: These sessions are ideal for when you have specific questions for your pet i.e. Do you like this or that? What do you think of . . . , etc. These type of sessions are also good when you want to prepare your pet for change i.e. new place to live, new family member coming, or some other event that will disrupt the routine/schedule in your home. Communication is two-way, where I can share information with them as well as get answers to your questions from them.

Animals communicate in a multitude of ways: by sending images / pictures telepathically, through sensations that I feel in my body (both physical sensations and emotions) as well as via words and phrases that come through. I put all of that together in order to get a clear "answer."

A lot of people think communicating with animals works the same as human communication where I could say, "Can you tell me why you have been throwing up?" and the animal says "Well it all started after X so I suspect that is probably the reason." or "Yes, I think I am allergic to Y which is in the new food that my mom has been feeding me." LOL. 

Since animals don't speak in full sentences like humans do, time is spent during the first part of the session explaining how I plan to work with them and ensuring the animal feels safe and comfortable with me. From there I share the questions their guardian has and begin to tune into what I am feeling / receiving from the animal. It typically involves delving deeper into some areas and then piecing the information together to understand the response they are giving me. Answers tend to be far more complex than most people expect. 

Because of all the above mentioned, I set a limit on the number of questions I can do per session. In one session, I can do up to 3 questions. So 1-3 questions is considered 1 session, 4-6 questions would require 2 session sessions and 7-9 questions would require 3 sessions. 

Sessions are not done over the phone, as it is important for me to be fully present with the animal and their energy in order to receive the clearest information. We pick a time where the animal is likely to be calm/quiet and I connect with the animal at that time. 

Immediately afterwards, I type up notes of everything the animal shared with me and send that to the guardian via email. The benefit is that the guardian then has a record of the session and the answers provided by their pet, which they can refer back to whenever they want.

I can also communicate with animals who have crossed over the Rainbow Bridge so if you have questions for a pet that has passed away, that is also an option. In the case of communicating with animals who have passed away, we don't need to set a specific time for the session but everything else written here applies.

Fee is $100 per session (via Venmo, Zelle or Paypal) 

Details of Energy Healing sessions: (I also do energy healing sessions for humans and it works the same). These sessions are ideal when there has been an injury, a surgery or something else that is challenging for the body to recover from. They are also a good fit for brand new pets, especially when you have adopted a rescue who may have experienced trauma. Additionally these sessions are also very helpful with aging pets when guardians are looking for information on how their pets are feeling both physically and emotionally as another data point to assist them in the decisions they are needing to make about their pet.

Before the session, I ask the pet guardian to share what their concern is regarding the animals physical or emotional health so that I know what to focus on. (With humans, I ask them what their Intention is for the session so that I can focus on their intention and see what might be blocking them from it.)

During the session, which lasts about 1 hour, I tune into what I am picking up (physical and emotional information) from the animal. The session focuses on sending healing energy to those specific areas of concern - to clear areas where energy is blocked and to provide energetic support to areas that are weakened, etc. 

I also work with the animal to allow them to bring the energy to any other area of their body that they feel could use support. I share this information with the guardian afterwards so they are aware of what else might be going on with their animal, both physically and emotionally.

Additionally, I provide information to the guardian if I sense that the animal may need to have a check up with their veterinarian (i.e. I can sense when something in their body feels off or concerning, where a trip to the vet may be in the animals best interest, for instance there are specific body sensations I feel when I suspect an animal might have a bladder infection or I will pick up on pain somewhere in their body that may need to be looked into further by your animals veterinarian.) 

Immediately after the session, I write up a detailed summary of everything I learned and send it via email. A lot of people refer to my sessions as a "reading" because I usually pick up more information than someone expects to receive. i.e. a guardian may expect a sentence or two response from me but it often ends up being multiple paragraphs. Since there is such depth and complexity to the insights and guidance I receive, there is a surprising amount of information that can come through. Again, the benefit of the detailed notes is that the human client and/or the guardian have something they can refer back to to refresh their memories when needed.

Fee is $150 per session (via Venmo, Zelle or Paypal) whether it is for an animal or a human.

What I need before either type of session: 

Picture: I will need a clear picture of the animal (or the human) preferably one where I can see their eyes, as that is the easiest way for me to connect with their energy. (send to me via email)

Permission: Animals are more open to working with me if they know that their guardian supports the session. Their loyalty is with their guardian so if you tell your pet that you have asked me to work with them and why, the session will be much more successful. 

Animals also appreciate being shown respect so it is important that they know ahead of time that I will be connecting with them and when we will have the session so they don't feel caught off guard by my connecting with them energetically. I have found that sessions are much richer and more helpful when a guardian shares this information with their animal ahead of time. (and you don't have to be an animal communicator to do this - you can just talk to your pet, addressing the points above and they will understand)  :-) 

With animals who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge, I only need a picture of them and the questions their guardian(s) have for them. It never hurts to tell them you have asked me to connect with them, but they are usually pretty receptive to communicating with me either way.

What are my hours?

I typically book sessions between 12 noon and 5pm. I do my best to be as accommodating as possible so I have availability 7 days a week and when necessary I can find additional time slots.

Why I sometimes ask for more information:

Often times I ask guardians for additional information about their questions before a session with their pet. It isn't because I am not good at communicating with animals.  :-)  The reason I do this is so that I can communicate more specifically with their pet. For instance, a guardian may have a question like "Do you like your pet sitter?" I will ask the guardian why they are asking, as it is helpful for me to know what they are seeing/sensing that inspired the question. Is their pet acting strangely before the pet sitter comes? or afterwards? Does the guardian have concerns about the pet sitter? If so, what are those concerns? I am able to then use that information to more quickly address the guardian's question and get clearer information from their pet.

This is the case with many questions guardians have such as: Do you like your new food? or Do you like the veterinarian we are seeing? Do you like your new dog/cat sibling? Do you miss going to Dog Shows? How are you feeling? etc.  The more information I have about why the guardian is asking that question, the easier it is for me to get specific answers from their animal. 

For me and the way I work, the more open a guardian can be with me, the more helpful the information I receive from their pet will be. I view the relationship between myself and the guardian as a partnership - one where we work together so that I can provide the best assistance possible. 

Are you ready for a session? Have questions?

If you are interested in a session (animal communication or energy healing), or have questions not answered here, please email me at: maureenburkley@gmail.com or reikimaureen@yahoo.com.

Follow The Nudges

Many years ago, after having a nice long walk along the shore, I sat down on the sand to watch the sun set. Once the sun was in its final decent, I was suddenly aware of how cold it had gotten and how frozen my feet felt. I couldn't wait to get home and put on a big warm sweatshirt and my Ugg boots. As I started to get up, out of the blue I got a nudge to sit down and wait another minute. I didn't want to, I really wanted to get warm - LOL - but something inside of me said, "Just wait" so I did. In less than a minute, the color of the sky changed so dramatically it took my breath away. I sat there with my jaw hanging open, so glad I had listened to that inner voice. In that moment, I no longer felt cold, or noticed that my feet had turned into ice blocks. For a few minutes I just sat in awe and took it all in. What I was seeing was so beautiful it brought tears to my eyes and made my heart smile. 

This is what I refer to as a "nudge" . . . a sudden thought that seems to come out of no where that guides you in a particular moment. It could be a thought to do something or say something or maybe it is to NOT do something. You can call them anything you'd like. (a gut instinct? a random inspiration? etc.) What is more important to me is that we pay attention when these feelings or knowings come to us out of the blue.

I happen to believe we are constantly being assisted / guided through these nudges. I don't know exactly who is guiding us or giving us what I refer to as "nudges" . . . Do we have angels? I don't know for sure so I tend to just refer to the who as "The Universe" or an "Inner-knowing." 

Admitting this may make me "woo woo" in some people's book, which is fine. We are all entitled to believe what we want, right?  The purpose of this blog is to shine the light on this topic so that you might be more likely to notice if/when you get your own nudges. 

Over the years, I have learned that any time I received and followed a nudge, I was really glad that I did. Additionally, I have found that it is important to trust them and follow through on them, even when I don't know why I got the nudge in the first place. 

Sometimes if we are lucky, we get immediate feedback on why we got the nudge. Sometimes a lot of time passes before we understand why we felt inspired to do something. And yet there are times where we never know. For me, what is more important is to trust there is a reason - whether we know what that reason is or not.

Maybe you've felt a nudge to leave the house earlier or later, to take a different route or just stay still for a few minutes. Maybe it was a nudge to ask a niece or nephew how they were doing or the random thought to leave a party and get home.

As an example: Have you ever felt like you should take a pause before proceeding when you get a green light - and then a second later you see someone running the red light and realize they would have collided with you if you had already started driving? 

Or have you ever felt nudged to give a stranger a compliment or had a feeling that you should reach out to someone you had lost touch with? I believe that all of these things are examples of the guidance we receive. 

The past few years, I have had a lot of these experiences that showed up in big and small ways. One time, it was a nudge to walk over to the older gentleman who I saw walking around the parking lot as I was leaving the grocery store to see if he needed help (and he was grateful that I did because he couldn't remember where he had parked his car and together we were able to find it). Another time, it was a nudge to get an old group of friends together, not knowing that one of the people had been diagnosed with inoperable cancer and wouldn't be around much longer. 

Just last fall, I felt another nudge to write a letter to someone from high school. He was my high school boyfriend's best friend over 40 years ago and he was also the boyfriend of one of my best friends. We hung out a lot given our mutual connections. Out of the blue old memories of him were popping into my mind. Not in a "ooh, I wonder if we are meant to be together" sort of way - LOL - it felt more like a "reach out and let him know how much you appreciated his kindness and how grateful you are that he was so protective of you when you really needed to have someone stand up for you." (The truth was, when I thought about those old times, I could easily see that he treated me with more respect than my boyfriend did).

I was resistant at first. Not wanting to come across as a dork, I was sure he would think I had reached a new level of weird when he got the letter but the nudge wouldn't go away so I did it. It was actually pretty easy to write the letter once I got started because I truly did appreciate him and the way he treated me all those years ago so the words just flowed from my heart onto the page. I delivered the letter, he was gracious and thanked me and then that was it. Did I kind of still feel like a dork? Yes I did. :-) But I also trusted there had to be a reason I got such a strong push to write the letter. 

Just a few weeks ago, I received the sad news that this friend had passed away. Of course my first reaction was shock and sadness. My second reaction was gratitude that I had followed the nudge. At least he knew how much I appreciated him. I didn't have to wish I could have talked to him one more time because I had already shared from my heart how grateful I was for the way he treated me. 

Our nudges don't always lead to something so dramatic and so sad - often times they are quiet little bits of encouragement that make life a little bit easier, put a smile on our faces or in our hearts or they do that for someone else.  

I have found that the more we notice these nudges, the more often they come. (Or maybe the more often we benefit from what we had previously not seen or paid attention to.) All I know is that I feel grateful every time I receive and follow through on one. Maybe you feel the same way.

If you feel like sharing an example of a nudge you received and how you responded, I would love to hear it and I bet others would too.